Display package



Feb. 9, 1932. F, STUART 1,844,189

DISPLAY PACKAGE Filed March 10, 1928 INVENTOR." JTPA/VK J STUART,

A TTORNE Y.

Patented Feb. 9, 1932 PATENT OFFICE FRANK J. STUART, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI DISPLAY PACKAGE Application filed March 10, 1928. Serial No. 260,597.

The invention has for an object to provide a novel form of display package, suitable for use in retail packages of goods such as medicinal tablets, although it is also applicable to various uses as will be readily understood from the disclosure. In conjunction with its special adaptability to use as a display package, it is also an object of the invention to utilize the display structure to-gain a further novel result in limitation of movement of the drawer or shove-out portion of a package of this kind, to the end that liability of spilling of the contents by preventing casual ejection of the drawer portion entirely from the carton is minimized; as

well as limiting the opening of the package to such extent that a small number of articles from the package may be pulled or poured put up in ordinary packages, if the case were lost, the package would stand open without a showing at once of the nature of the contents, and use of such tablets in mistake for others of more harmless character would be a grave liability. Wit-h'my package, it is impossible to separate the case portion, which may be distinctively labelled, from the container, so that there is always a prominent marking of the package and display of the product centrally of the marking, whether the package is open or closed, but the nature of the ackage is also such that closing of the paciiage will be more certainly done because of the lesser effect required on the part of the user than with ordinary packages of this kind.

A further important purpose of the invention is to present a display package of the kind which, while containing a large number of particles, tablets or the like, will have one or more of these separated from the rest in a novel way, and displayed in a position to be most readily perceived and recognized.

It is a further aim to so construct the package that. such distinctively displayed units will always be retained in such salient position until the entire content excepting these is used, and furthermore, permitting the immediate easy removal of these saliently displayed units for use so that they need not be wasted, having been so displayed as to be protected and preserved in a sanitary manner. 1

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention will appear from the construction, arrangement and combination of parts as hereinafter more particularly described, and shown in the drawings, Where- 1n,

Figure 1 is a top view of the package embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of the package.

-F'gure 4 is a fragmentary, longitudinal sectional View of a modification.

Figure 5 is a similar view of a further modification.

The package comprises an outer sleeve, case, or cover portion 10, which may be formed in accordance with familiar practices in such packages, and a drawer or container part 11, slidable in the case. As shown, the container is of rectangular form and open at the top throughout, consisting of'a bottom, sides and ends, formed in accordance with approved manufacture of boxes. All parts have been made of paper with success.

The case has an elongated opening or Window 12 at the top thereof, extending longitudinally of the package, spaced equally from the ends thereof, although this is not essential, and stopping short of the ends of the package a sufficient distance for the purpose to be described. The case is completely enclosed by a Wrapper of thin transparent cellulose sheeting 13, although at times it may be found desirable to simply secure a single small sheet upon the top of the box so as to extend across the opening only. The wrapping of four sides of the package with cellulose is practiced, leaving the ends of the package uncovered, in order that the printing and the outer surfaces of the case may be protected and preserved.

Upon the inside of the case, a channelled support 14 is secured upon the top of the case directly under the opening 12, the channel therein being of just sufficient size to snugly receive slidably one or more of the articles 15 forming the contents 'of the package, so as to lift them up into the opening 12 and present them flush against the transparent covering 13. In this manner the displayed part of the content is made observable with the greatest clarity and ease.

The support 14 has been formed of a flexible sheet of paper of suitable color having opposite edge portions secured to the inner face of the top of the case, parallel to the opening 12, by a suitable adhesive, its intermediate portion being extended downwardly in U-shape. The ends of this supportare open as shown, so that the articles 15 may be inserted therein from the ends of the support, or set in through the opening 12 before the material 13 is applied, and they may be easily removed from the support 14'by the insertion of any small rod-like member.

It is important to note that the support 14 sets downward well within the container 11, when the latter is in place within the case, and that when the container or drawer is moved longitudinally in the case the end of the container will engage against the end of the support 14 thereadjacent, whereby movement of the drawer further is checked. At least one end of the support 14 is consequently so spaced from the adjacent end'of'the case that suflici-ent movement of the drawer in the case will be permitted before the end of the drawer strikes the support 14, to permit the far end of the drawer to be exposed sufiiciently to permit the contents of the package to be slowly poured out when the package is inverted. This extent of movement may also be made sufficient to permit insertion of the fingers of the user.

In another form, in Figure 4, the support 14 corresponding to that first described, is

of a length to lie closely within the ends of the drawer so that initially the drawer may.

not be casually moved sufiiciently to permit any of the contents to be discharged from the package, unless considerable force is applied. To permit proper yielding of the guide portion at one end at least, for this purpose it may be weakened to permit its yielding and collapse when certain predetermined pressure is applied to the adjacent end of the container. This end of the container may be marked in a distinctive manner to indicate that it is to be pressed in to open the package. The other end 160f the support 14 may be of a character to be more resistant to the movement of the drawer therein, so that the support, will form a positive check for the drawer'in closing movement (making it easy to close the box accurately to protect the contents), as well as regulating the opening movement in the oppo- .site direction. One method of weakening the yielding end of the support 14 may consist in leaving a portion of the support unattached to'the top of the case for a distance from the end of the package as at 17, so that it may easily collapse when the end of the container is pressed thereagainst. In this instance, the outturned edge portions are omitted at 17 so that only a U-shaped end.

portion remains, unattached to the case for the distance which the drawer is to be moved in opening. Other means for effecting the sameen'd may be used as desired.

In-the formation of this package, the support 14 may be put in place upon the case before the case is folded and secured in final form, the container then partly filled with the measured content, and the case 10 then assembled thereon, either before or after insertion of the display units 15 in the support 14. The case is covered by a small sheet of the transparent material 13 which may be put in place before or after the assembly of the package as described. The encircling sheet is of a size corresponding to that of the blank for the case, 10. On account of a liability of shrinkage ofthe cellulose which produces a binding and buckling effect upon the case, it has been found desirable to secure the cellulose sheet at several points, so as to limit the shrinkage locally and prevent cumulative effect thereof from becoming manifest I at one line on the case. Otherwise, the effect of the entire shrinkage finally produces a large wrinkle in the top of the case, interfering with the proper use of the package.

It may be found desirable to omit the transparent closure material for the opening in the top of the case, making the opening narrower and arrange the units of the ,goodsso they will be safely retained by the edges of the opening 12. This is a matter of discretion within the scope of the invention as disclosed.

My method of displaying the content of the package may be used with various forms of package structures, as will be appreciated, andin Figure 5 I have shown formally a carton with ahinged tongue 18 for closing the end,of the package in a familiar way, the top or front face of th acka e having the same construction as th e %o% package in Figures 1 to 3, or of Figure 4 if preferred.

I claim:

1. A package of the character described comprising a sleeve having a view-window therein, a channel-shaped support for a part of the contents of the package having a width corresponding to the size of a unit of the content, arranged longitudinally under the window and secured to the interior of the sleeve in alinement with the window and being open .at the ends, and a drawer element slidable in the sleeve.

2. A package of the character described comprisln a sleeve case having a view window therein, a support for a part of the content secured interiorly to the case in alinement with said window, part of the content carried by the support under the window and a slidable drawerin the case the ends 0 the drawer arranged to engage said support under opening movement, said support being constructed and adapted to check opening movement of the drawer at a predetermined position.

3. The structure of claim 1, said drawer element having an end to close the end of the package, said support being positioned to V engage the end ofthe drawer to oppose opening movement thereof.

4. The structure of claim 1, the drawer having an end to close the end of the package, said support being positioned to engage 95 the opposite end of the drawer initially to oppose opening movement thereof, and having a portion collapsible for a distance to permit a predetermined opening movement. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

FRANK J. STUART. 

